


Heal

by sheiksleopardthong



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Related, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Non-Binary Hange Zoë, levi's emotional constipation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-14 17:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1274716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheiksleopardthong/pseuds/sheiksleopardthong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi had hand-picked his squad to protect Eren for a reason. He'd trusted them beyond their years, and knew they'd make the decisions necessary to keep the brat safe. And they had. And they wouldn't have to ever again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Me

The reception for the returning survey corps isn't exactly friendly. Eren can feel the venomous glares the people of Karanese shoot at the remaining soldiers – both the wounded in their carts, and the few unharmed still on horseback. Mikasa stops him from shouting at them, and he smiles a little at the boy near the back of the crowd. He hopes there'll be no need for the survey corps by the time the kid is old enough to join, but now Eren's not so sure that'll be possible.

They make their way slowly back to the survey corps barracks, and Eren notices he's slipping in and out of consciousness as the sky stretches out above him like nothing happened. He hopes Mikasa's getting some sleep too, but every time he looks at her she's staring off in the distance. Awake but not present.

Finally they pull up to the survey corps HQ, and Eren sits up, knowing he's going to have to make it downstairs to his room. He'd rather do it on his own, without Mikasa's help, but isn't sure he'll be able to make it on his own, even after resting for so long. He curses his weak body. He's weak now, and he'd been weak earlier. All his life he's been nothing but _weak_ , and there's nothing he can do about it. It just makes him want to –

"Eren."

The boy looks up from his lap to see Captain Levi standing in front of him, holding his hand out. Eren takes the man's hand, standing, using Levi's grip to lean on a little. Once he's on his feet, and balanced, Levi wraps an arm around Eren's waist, holding him up easily. Together they're able to walk easily into the old castle and down the stairs to the dungeon that serves as Eren's home.

He doesn't see Mikasa anywhere on his way down, but Eren figures she needs to help unload, both supplies and other, more wounded soldiers.

Levi helps Eren onto his bed, then sits beside the teen, letting out a silent, slow breath, stretching his left leg out in front of him.

Eren watches the movement, and watches Levi lean down to take his left boot off as well. His face stays unemotional, but Eren notices he breaks out in a light sweat before finally flinging the leather shoe away like it burns Looking down at Levi's foot, Eren can see it's horribly swollen, stretching the captain's ankle to three times its usual size.

"Heichou!" Eren exclaims, eyes widening at the sight. "What happened? When were you injured?"

"Rescuing you from the female titan," Levi says, adjusting his ass in his sitting position, being careful not to jostle his ankle. "Your shit for brains girlfriend almost got herself killed trying to get you. I didn't have time to position my foot correctly, if I wanted to save her." He rolls his eyes when Eren looks even more worried. "It's just a sprain. I'm fine."

Eren clenches his fists on his thighs, shaking and glancing down at his lap. "Levi," he hisses through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry," he says, knuckles going white. "I'm so sorry. None of this was supposed to happen. I was supposed to save humanity."

"I told you I'm fine, Eren. My foot will hea."

"But Petra won't."

His voice echoes through the room a lot louder than he'd intended it to. Eren can feel Levi stiffen beside him, and he looks up, biting his lip hard, trying to ignore the burn in his eyes.

"Ouro won't. Erd won't. Gunther won't. They're gone. Levi I – they were your friends, and because I was _weak_... I couldn't save them. I got them killed. It's all my fault."

"It's not, Eren. You chose to trust them, which is what they asked you to do. You can't fault yourself for that."

"But I _can_ ," Eren's face scrunches up as tears begin falling. "If I'd trusted my gut, if I'd turned into a titan – this could have been prevented."

"You can't know that. If you'd become a titan then, you could have wound up dead. We can't know."

"Levi," Eren's interrupted by his own coughing fit.

The captain pulls Eren close to him, arms wrapping around the teenager until Eren can't quite tell where his guilt ends and Levi's forgiveness begins. Small hands rub over his arm, and once in awhile soft kisses are pressed to the top of Eren's head.

"I can't believe they're gone," Eren sobs into his partner's neck, clinging to the man who's become his lifeline.

"I know," Levi says, his breath, and voice, eerily steady. "But they'll live on in our memories."

"That's..." Eren looks up at the man, "a little deep, for you, isn't it?"

"Not as deep as my boot will be up your ass if you ever tell anyone I said it," Levi replies, glaring icily down at Eren.

"Yes sir," Eren says, leaning up to press a soft kiss to the side of Levi's mouth. "You should ice your ankle."

"And you should sleep. But I think the likelihood of either of us doing those things is low."

"Lay here and don't sleep with me, then?" Eren asks, big eyes wide and still shining with tears. He knows he won't last long before he's crying again, and he doesn't want to do so alone.

Levi seems to hesitate for a moment, but then he moves up to the headboard, bunching his coat beneath his foot to keep the injury raised before motioning silently for Eren to lay with him.

The titan shifter lays with his head against Levi's ribcage, shifting to keep his nose from running. He can't help but frown a little when he hears the captain's heart hammering in his chest. In the (admittedly short) time he's known Levi, the teenager's never felt Levi's heartbeat race like this. Eren's grip on his partner tightens a little, and he has a hard time feeling so bad for himself, now.


	2. They

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get by with a little help from our friends. They/them pronouns for Hange.

"Captain Hange," Eren calls his superior from down the hall. The morning light flashes off of their glasses when they turn around to face Eren. They stop, waiting for him to catch up.

"What's up, Eren?" they ask. Their eyes are lined with dark rings, and Eren knows the captain probably got about the same amount of sleep that he and Levi had gotten.

"I need to ask you some questions," he says, unable to meet their gaze now, muttering. "It might be a little weird."

"Is it about Levi?" they ask, crossing their arms.

Eren blinks, looking, startled, up at Hange. "Er, yeah," he admits. "How did you know?" he asks before anything else.

"I'm far from stupid, Eren," they chastise, "and though Levi would never admit it, we are close friends." They pause, raising an eyebrow. "Don't worry though; I don't think Erwin's caught on."

That actually puts Eren at ease a little, and he nods. "Okay, so...about the expedition yesterday..."

Hange stiffens visibly, and Eren had known this would be a difficult topic, but he's not interrupted, so he continues.

"We're all taking the losses we suffered hard," he says, shoulders slumping weakly as he thinks of the night he'd had, how he'd been unable to go any significant amount of time without breaking down in Levi's arms. "But he's not – Levi's not –"

"Not dealing with it," Hange finishes Eren's sentence, and he's grateful for it. "He's got a bad habit of never admitting to any emotion whatsoever, unless you count _disdain_ as an emotion. Although," they hum thoughtfully, "I suppose he's had to change his tune, to get with you."

"Yeah, he's...a little more open in private," Eren admits. "He'd kill me if he found out I told you that."

"He most certainly would," Hange says. "But you think he needs to express his grief more...actively?" they ask, staying on topic.

"That's right," he nods. "And I figured if anyone would know how to, ah, help him do that, it's you."

Hange hums, crossing their arms in thought. "It's possible. But it's not going to be easy. Or all to pleasant for him. I can see why you need my help. I don't imagine you want to risk making him angry by pushing." The captain grins. "But of course, I can get away with it just fine."

"So you'll talk to him?" Eren smiles, hopeful.

"I will," Hange agrees, "but not immediately. Give him the rest of the day, yeah? Maybe he just stayed stoic last night for you."

"That's possible," Eren says, nodding slowly.

"But unlikely?" Eren nods more surely. Hange lets out a short, breathy laugh. "Stick by him. When I'm done with that tiny man, he won't be as pretty as usual."

"Yes sir," Eren says. "Thank you so much."

"You owe me, Eren, you hear? You'll regret it!"

"I'd feel cheated if I didn't, sir," he calls over his shoulder as he heads out to his chores for the day.

* * *

 

Eren sneaks glances at his partner throughout the day, offering earnest smiles whenever he can get away with a secret glance. Levi responds with placating nods. He doesn't hold Eren's hand under the table at lunch.

"I need to take you to your room," Levi says after dinner, coming to get Eren from his evening chores. "C'mon, it's too dark to keep going, and we all need our rest."

The titan shifter's eyes widen, hoping Levi's planning on opening up a little. "How's your day been?" he asks, an innocent opener.

"Busy. There's too much damn paperwork involved with coming home from expeditions," he purses his lips in frustration. "This isn't what I was blackmailed into."

"Yeah, sounds like a bother," Eren encourages. "Especially having to just sit at your desk all day after everything that happened. I mean I'm sure you'd much rather come outside and hit something."

Levi shrugs. "Anything would be better than paperwork," he says. "I don't care what it is otherwise."

Eren doesn't say anything as they enter the castle, not knowing how to respond. He starts to question if he can really go through with whatever Hange's got planned for their 'discussion', but then they pass the captain in the hall, and the teen gives them a pleading look.

"Hey, Levi," they wave to get his attention, and Levi stops when he's closer to his friend. "I need to talk to you for a moment, do you mind coming with me for a minute?"

"Alright, but make it quick, shitty glasses," he says. "Eren, go on to your room. I'll be down in a minute, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing," the teen nods, heading down to the basement on his own. He bites his lip as he heads down, worried about his partner. He's been subject to Hange's physical experiments, and they're taxing enough. Eren can't imagine what they have planned for an _emotional_ experiment. He prays that he hasn't made a terrible mistake.


	3. Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry

"You've certainly been _yourself_ today," Hange says as they lead Levi down the hall. They don't have a destination in mind, but isolation is the goal. There's no way they'll get anywhere with the Lance Corporal if there's anyone around.

"What the hell else do you expect me to be?" Levi asks with a frown. "What is it you wanted to talk about? I've got paperwork to do."

Hange ignores both questions, instead following their own train of thought. "You spent the entire day in your office, doing paperwork."

"Yeah. And there's more to do. You know there's an assload of it after an expedition."

"Especially this one, I imagine."

Levi stiffens, and a glance at him reveals his lips are pursed so tightly they're quickly turning white.

"Yes," he answers once it's clear Hange's waiting for him to do so.

"I guess it wasn't really all that bad, though. I mean, we _did_ capture Annie Leonhart, after all," Hange muses. The words hurt, cutting their gums as they're forced out. But this isn't about the captain's feelings. It's about Levi's. "They knew what they were getting into the day they joined the Survey Corps. And they helped humanity. That's what's important. Their families should be proud. They should celebrate, really."

"I know what you're trying to do, shitty glasses, and you're being ridiculous. Can I get back to work now, or are you not finished?" he raises an eyebrow, and Levi's death glare seems even more deadly than usual. Interesting.

Hange keeps their grin to themselves.

"Of course I'm not finished!" they throw their arms wide in excitement. "I'm nothing if not thorough. You know that, Levi."

"Unfortunately," he groans, closing his eyes a second and letting out a slow, calculated breath.

"I really should let you get back to work," Hange continues. "I know Commander Erwin wants your shit done asap. He's not really one for patience, huh? our cold-hearted commander.

"But! You two certainly are certainly two of a kind, aren't you? All business, no pleasure. I wonder what Erwin would say if he found out you aren't as stone-faced as he thinks."

"What are you talking about?" Levi demands wearily.

"Why, Eren, of course!" Hange chuckles. "If you think you can hide _anything_ from me, Levi, you're sorely mistaken."

"I've got my fair share of secrets you don't know," is all he says.

"Oh, I don't think so," Hange says. "You're an open book. An open book with a heart of stone. The fact that you let Eren Yeager, of all people, in is a mystery I have yet to solve though. And the kid's so _passionate_ about everything. What does he see in you? You wouldn't know what empathy was if you shit it out into the toilet bowl. I suppose your relationship is _one_ secret you've kept, then," they shrug.

"Bit selfish, don't you think? Letting yourself feel this fleeing happiness, but not mourning all the losses we suffered yesterday? For shame," their voice is sarcastic, condescending. Then they shrug. "I guess it doesn't matter, seeing as they _did_ help humanity. Not only did we capture the female titan, but they protected Eren. I wonder if humanity's last hope's gonna be allowed to stay with us now that we've failed another mission. The Military Police aren't going to be happy with us~"

"The Military Police can choke on their own shit for all I care."

"Oh, I know. But who knows if even Erwin'll be able to keep them away from Eren, now. I mean, if we can't even _get_ to Shiganshina, really he's a waste of resources. Not to mention a waste of lives."

"Uh huh," Levi hums, obviously not buying Hange's manipulation.

"Though we do have _one_ way to save humanity's last hope, if they try to take him from us again," they continue, changing tactics with a softer, wistful voice. Levi doesn't respond, so the captain continues. "I mean, all of our losses were _your_ fault, after all."

Levi rounds on them, expression a forced calm. "You keep your shitty mouth shut, Zoë. You aren't authorized to make that call."

"Oh, I'm not making any official calls," Hange frowns, eyes narrowing angrily at the tiny man before them. "But I don't need to. Everyone's thinking it. Everyone knows it. And Erwin might lie in his official report, seeing as you're " _humanity's strongest soldier_ ", because you're _oh so irreplaceable_ ," they roll their eyes, sneering in frustration. "But none of us are idiots. We know your _elite team_ all died because of your own incompetence. Or maybe you just didn't care enough about their lives. Wasn't 'protect Eren Yeager at all costs' the point of your squad, after all? Maybe you took that as permission to let them die." Hange scoffs. "A little literal of you, but oh, you were just _following orders_ , weren't you? No one really expects you to be such a stickler for the rules, but even I thought you valued your comrades more than that. I suppose you've always been pretty antisocial though. Maybe you just wanted them out of the way, so you'd have less people to have to deal with. That's low, even for you, _leader of the soldiers_ – "

"Enough!" Levi's voice echoes through the empty hall, and for a moment he looks twice his size, fury in his eyes now. "You're – "

"Not done, actually," Hange says, interrupting him. "I mean, your squad's not here to condemn you, so I figure it's my duty to do it for all of them, you know? Honouring the dead and all that.

"'Cause Petra's father met you in Trost, right? Have you told all of their families yet? It's your duty. Though someone like you, Levi, oh someone like you I bet feels absolutely nothing, telling these people that their loved ones are dead. You're dead too, Levi. You're dead on the inside. We don't even have bodies to bury, and yet you sit at your desk feeling absolutely _nothing_.

"You gave Petra's patch to that idiot that nearly got everyone killed. Did you want to _reward_ his stupidity? Because he was stupid. But you, Levi, you're actively malicious. Gunther, Eld, Oluo, Petra – they were children. Barely older than Eren. And they died for him. For you. But you're here getting mad at me for telling the truth instead of any form of guilt, or proper emotion. _Anger_ won't bring them back, Levi," they call when Levi beings stomping back the way the two of them had come. "Nothing will."

They follow after him, longer legs having no trouble keeping up. "Look at you: running away from me. You _scared_ , Levi? You've never been afraid of me, so I think it's gotta be the truth. Maybe if you can't accept it, you shouldn't have done it in the first place. What is it you like to say? 'Make the decision you'll regret the least'? So this is it? The death of all of those kids – kids that looked up to you, trusted you – was the decision you regret the _least_? You're a disgusting enough man, Levi, but now _I_ can't even look at you without feeling sick. And that's saying something. You're worse than a titan."

Levi stops, shoulders hunched up around his ears. He's smaller, now. Hange stops a few paces behind him, falling silent.

"You really are shitty, you know that, right?" he says, and it's quieter than the captain's ever heard him speak.

"Is it really me that's the shitty one?" they ask, arms crossing, pushing even more.

Levi might be shaking now, but Hange isn't completely sure. He turns around, glaring daggers with wet eyes at his friend.

"If you speak one more word," he says with a tight throat, "I'll cut out your tongue. _Then_ I'll tell you about what I do or do not regret."

Hange smiles a little, and doesn't receive one in return. They motion for him to go, then, nodding.

Levi turns and begins walking toward the basement stiffly. He doesn't make it to the corner before he starts running.

Hange needs a fucking nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please tell me what you thought of this. I hurt writing it, and I hurt retyping it, please tell me if you actually had any sort of emotional reaction here because I planned to break Levi and I hope I broke you a little too <3


	4. We

Eren hadn't been waiting in his room, like Levi had asked him to, but perhaps that's for the best, because wehn the Lance Corporal rounds the corner at a sprint, Eren's able to touch him before he even notices that the boy's there.

"Levi," he says softly, fingers trailing lightly from the man's shoulder down to his hand, pressing their hands together gently, barely felt. "Are you alright?"

The man looks at Eren slowly, eyes shining with tears he's not allowing to fall. He doesn't answer, but follows silently when Eren guides him down the stairs to the dungeon that's serving as the titan shifter's room. Eren leads him to the bed, sitting beside him.

"Eren, I – " Levi chokes out before his head hangs and his shoulders begin to shake. The teen immediately pulls Levi close to his chest, doing his best to shelter his lover from all of the negative thoughts that are surely running through his mind. Eren doesn't know what Captain Hange said to him, but seems to have been effective.

Levi's fingers clutch weakly to Eren's shirt, the rough, calloused pads of his fingers catching the cotton stronger than the man's grip. Eren's arms wrap around Levi's waist, rubbing his back soothingly. His short nails scratch at Levi's back, too, and Eren leans his face into the side of the Lance Corporal's head. He breathes in the clean, fresh scent that Levi always exudes, pressing his nose into the short, bristly hairs of the man's undercut. His lips imprint softly into Levi's skin, and Eren doesn't say anything when he feels the fabric on his shoulder get damp enough to cling, cool against his skin.

"They trusted me," Levi says, and his voice is somehow as strong and steady as it always is, albeit muffled by Eren's shoulder. "They put their faith in me. And I let them down. I got them killed, Eren. Everyone that gets close to me dies. I was foolish to think they would survive. That my leadership wouldn't spell disaster for my whole team."

"Levi..." Eren holds him a little closer. "It's not your fault. There's no way you could have known what was going to happen. You did what you thought was best. For all of us."

"How can you know that?" Levi's quieter now, lips barely moving where they're pressed into the titan shifter.

"Because you're the best leader I've ever seen," Eren says with a soft smile, anticipating his own mushy pep talk. "Levi, you care more about the Survey Corps – the people that make it up, not the good of the military – than anyone I've ever met. You hate unnecessary violence, and death, and you want these people to be able to go home to their families at the end of every day.

"It's a privilege to work under you, Levi. Not only as your lover, but as your new recruit. As Humanity's Last Hope. _You're_ the one that gives _me_ hope, Levi. And I know you did the same for the others. And you'll continue to do so every day, to every one of us as we still live and breathe."

Levi shakes, and he takes a long breath through a swollen throat. Then he sits straight, looking over Eren's shoulder with a blank expression. He isn't crying anymore, it seems. At least, tears aren't falling anymore. Eren watches him, not saying anything now, just waiting for Levi to speak first.

"Eren," he says eventually, sounding distressed. He winces, obviously upset with the weakness in his voice. But the teen revels in it. He's never seen, or heard, Levi in a moment of weakness, and while he aches to see the man so distraught, he really does believe this to be cathartic for him. A necessary pain, to let the rest of it out.

"Eren," Levi tries again, and this time it's a little stronger. "Everyone around me dies. Farlan and Isabel, more in the capital, actually. Too many to name. And now Petra. Oluo. Eld. Gunther. Children who trusted me." Now he looks at Eren, and if there was ever an expression that could break the teen's heart, he knows this is it. "You're the same, Eren. And you're closer to me than they were. You're in even more danger, and I can't stand the voice in the back of my head that tells me that I'll get you killed."

"You won't, Levi," Eren says, taking one of Levi's hands and holding it tight. "You aren't going to get me killed. I'm not going to die at all. I'm going to live every day until I die of old age, because I want to spend every moment with you."

"You shouldn't," Levi says. "You shouldn't want that. Eren, I think," he closes his eyes, and Eren doesn't reach up to wipe the tears that release, now. "I think we should – "

"No," Eren interrupts, moving away from Levi, standing to face him instead of hold him. "Don't you finish that fucking sentence, Levi. Don't you dare."

"We can't keep doing this, Eren. The secrets, the worry of it all."

"We've been making it work up until now. Levi, we can _do_ this. There's no way we'll be happier apart than together. I know I have never felt this way about anyone else, and I don't want to."

"You think that, Eren, but you can love again. You will."

"But I don't _want_ to," he repeats himself, more forcefully this time. "And I've seen how you look at me too, Levi. I'm an idiot," Eren lets out a pained chuckle. "Sina knows I'm a complete moron, but I know, I can see in your eyes, and in your cheeks, and in your lips, and I _know_. I know you, Levi. I know you love me. And I know most of all, that staying together is the decision we'll regret the least. Together."

Levi's silent again, looking down at his lap, hands tensing, open and closed.

"Eren, I – "

"Levi," Eren whispers, pleading.

"I do love you," Levi says, voice almost inaudible, even in the silent room. "And..." he breathes carefully. "I suppose you're right. But that doesn't negate the danger that you've been put in, as result of our relationship."

"I'm not in any more danger than I would be had I never began a relationship with you," Eren says. "In fact, being directly under you probably keeps me safer than any other sect of the Survey Corps. Anyone is. Hell, if you hadn't been there when the Female Titan captured me, I wouldn't be here now, and neither would Mikasa," he gestures to Levi's ankle, still swollen to an unnatural size and angled weirdly so no pressure's on it.

"I – I suppose that's true," Levi says, still not looking up.

"Mourn their loss, but don't blame yourself for their deaths." Eren kneels in front of Levi, brushing his bangs from his face tenderly, leaning forward to rest his head on Levi's chest. "It's okay to hurt. We all do. It's okay to show your pain. You're not weak for doing so. In fact, maybe even the opposite."

"I don't know why we do this," Levi says, his voice quiet, and soft. Vulnerable. "Why we continue to go on these expeditions. Why we try to justify their deaths, as if we're any closer to knowing anything about the titans, as if we're any closer to being free."

"Because someday we will be," Eren says. "Someday we'll tell the stories of our friends, sacrificing themselves for the future generations. They'll name their children after our friends, after their heroes."

Levi worries his lip between his teeth, furrowing his brow even more than usual. He nods, slowly, then pauses, as if unsure if he actually wants to nod after all.

"I don't really believe it either," Eren says, smiling sadly. He can feel his eyes itch with budding tears. "Not yet. But I know, in theory, how I'll feel when I'm done mourning. I've lost people. You have, too. But I don't think you feel like Isabel and Farlan died for no reason."

Levi shakes his head now. "I don't. I haven't for a long time."

"Exactly," Eren looks up, cupping Levi's face, running a thumb over the man's cheekbone. "And we know we'll feel that way for the others too, eventually. But for now, we have to let out our grief, our anger, our sorrow. Or it'll wreck us, Levi."

"I don't really... want to talk about this," Levi says, pulling away and trying to relax his hands, but Eren can see the fingers twitch, wanting nothing more than to clench tightly.

"We don't have to talk about anything," Eren says, letting his partner break the physical contact. "But we have to let our feelings out. Someday we'll see a volcano, and I'll be able to understand what an erupting one is like, but you can't let yourself explode like that."

They're silent like that for several long moments. Eren watches Levi, who watches his lap. The Lance Corporal's face doesn't move as he thinks, and Eren lets him do so, hoping he hasn't said anything ridiculous, or out of line. Eren rarely has bouts of wisdom, and he's certainly not great at pep talks (unless you count his "suicidal" screaming about doing his best to save humanity), but he hopes he's been able to do something right for a change. Something to help Levi. The man he loves.

"I'm spending the night here again," Levi finally decides, his voice back to its usual strength. "With you."

"Of course," Eren says.

"I need help getting to and from the shower."

Eren stands, then helps Levi do the same. They make their way up to the showers, and the titan shifter waits outside the bathroom once his own is done, letting the wounded man take as much time as he needs.

They go to bed together, Eren curled up around his lover as the older man lays awake all night. Once in awhile he presses back into Eren's chest harder, and the teen kisses Levi's hair, squeezes him, and passes him tissues.

They sleep past breakfast. Hange knocks on the door once they're done eating. Eren blinks his eyes open when he hears the door open.

"Morning, shitty glasses," Levi says quietly. "What do you want?"

Eren isn't surprised that Levi's awake too, but thinks he must have been asleep before the Captain knocked on the door. Otherwise he would have gotten up in time for work.

"Erwin wants to go over some of your paperwork from yesterday. You know. Regular debriefing shit."

Levi groans. "Fine. Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

"Sure." They nod to Eren before heading out again.

"You gonna be okay at work today?" the boy asks his partner.

"Are you?" Levi counters, turning to raise an eyebrow at Eren.

"Eventually," is what the teen says.

"Yeah," Levi agrees, kissing Eren softly, letting out a quiet breath through his nose. "Eventually."

**Author's Note:**

> I'd really appreciate if you told me what you thought about this story! I put a lot of thought into exactly how to break Levi, and subsequently rebuild him. You can thank katiegoot for a conversation I had with here in which this idea emerged. Though I'll be selfless and take all the blame for your tears <3


End file.
